What do you get when you cross a slushie machine, Play-Doh, and a gourmet homemade lunch? You get a 6th grade McDowell Technical Community College visit, of course!
On Wednesday, June 4, McDowell County 6th graders visited the campus of McDowell Technical Community College for a special interactive tour of the different classes and programs of study offered.
McDowell County GEAR UP Coordinator, Kathy Kelley, surveyed students before their visit to gauge what programs and activities interested them. Based on that information, MTCC faculty and staff worked to create a schedule that aligned with the student responses to give them a really special campus visit.
MTCC Dean of Arts and Sciences, Chuck Bowling, facilitated the event and worked closely with MTCC staff and faculty to create an experience that would engage and teach students the value of postsecondary education in a 6th-grade friendly way.
“Most college visits are just walking through the hallways, walking across campus, pointing at buildings and explaining what’s in it,” Bowling said. “We knew we were going to need something more than that if we wanted to get 6th graders engaged and having a good experience.”
Students had the chance to participate in 30-minute-long interactive stations that allowed them to explore nursing, cosmetology, cybercrime, photography, and more in a safe and accessible way.
During the tour of the mechanics lab, students learned how household products such as refrigerators, freezers, and air conditioning units work. This station culminated in a visit to the “Slushie Lab,” where students learned more about the science of refrigeration and got to sample a slushie.
At the nursing station, students learned the basics of CPR and had a chance to practice the skill on a CPR dummy. Students also got to explore the Anatomage Table, a life-size digital replica of the human body that is used to teach anatomy and physiology.
Students learned the principles of color theory with the cosmetology lab by mixing together different shades of Play-Doh, and saw how those concepts are applied in makeup artistry and hair dyeing.
“We just wanted to come up with really engaging ways to help students imagine themselves in programs here,” Bowling said. “They got enough time to bounce around a couple of programs, and we tried our best to match their interests.”
More traditional, education and transfer-centered visits are planned for when the students reach 8th grade. This visit was more centered around trade and career programs, Bowling said.
“We were really trying to highlight the careers that can be accomplished and allow these young people to remain local if that’s what they want to do,” Bowling said.
Following the stations, students were treated to a gourmet lunch catered by Bernice Toney, director of the MTCC Campus Cafe. She created and cooked a “young people friendly” menu that included items like a copycat Chick-Fil-A sandwich, macaroni and cheese, and ice cream sandwiches.
“Feeding them well was a big part of these visits,” Bowling said. “Kathy really wanted them to eat well and have an experience that was unique and memorable, and Bernice also wanted them to feel like kings and queens while they were here.”
Research conducted by the Appalachian GEAR UP Research & Evaluation team found that the earlier students are exposed to campus visits, the more likely they are to apply to and attend an institution of higher education — a fact that makes these early 6th grade campus visits so critical. Being exposed to an educational campus visit is a huge determining factor in developing a college-going mindset for middle grade and high school students.
You can read more about the findings of the Appalachian GEAR UP Research and Evaluation team here → Campus Visits as Predictors of Postsecondary Enrollment in Low-Income, Rural School Districts
MTCC Campus Visit
MTCC Campus Visit